New Oral Candidal and Bacterial Infections in Humans and Animals – A One Health Paradigm

Background: The oral cavity of dogs and cats contains a diverse microbiota, consisting of commensal as well as opportunistic pathogenic species. During recent years, animals and human health providers have been warned regarding the rise of fungal and bacterial oral infections in pets raising as zoonotic potential. These diseases, conditioned by the misuse of antimicrobial agents, modifications in the environment and intensive association between humans and animals are increasingly a problem within a One Health approach. Although the role of oral microbiota in systemic diseases is well established, there is little focus on their zoonotic potential and overlapping microbial populations between pets and humans. To review the available evidence on newly emerging fungal and bacterial oral infections in companion animals, evaluate potential zoonotic implications and prepare a proposal of novel One Health-oriented strategies for prevention, diagnosis and control. Methods: In this systematic review, all papers published between ۲۰۱۵ and June ۲۰۲۵ in the PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science databases were surveyed. Key words used were oral microbiota, fungal infections, bacterial zoonoses and pets/One Health. Papers related to oral pathogens in dogs and cats including their owners were considered. The data were evaluated for emerging pathogens, trends in resistance to antimicrobial agents, and pathways of cross-species infection. results: The review found >۶۰ studies reporting higher rates of isolation from the oral cavity of pets for Candida spp., Malassezia pachydermatis, Aspergillus fumigatus, Staphylococcus pseudintermedius and Pasteurella multocida. Molecular evidence indicates that the same strain types circulate in both pets and people, suggesting potential bi-directional zoonotic transmission. Increasing antimicrobial resistance and environmental emergence of some fungi also add to the blue. Conclusions and clinical relevance: Novel oral fungal and bacterial infections in companion animals highlight the interplay between the health of humans, animals, and ecosystems. Early detection and prevention will require integration of molecular diagnostics, AI-based microbial surveillance and antimicrobial stewardship within a One Health approach. Cross-species monitoring of the oral microbiome and innovative controls (ecology-friendly antifungal and antibacterial therapeutics) should be a priority for future studies to minimize co-occurring microbial risks.

کلیدواژه ها:

One Health ، oral microbiota ، fungal infections ، bacterial zoonoses ، antimicrobial resistance (AMR) ، companion animals ، zoonotic transmission of diseases ، oral microbiome